Sunday, June 14, 2009

I will continue the fight!

Through the advice of my family and friends, i have decided to keep this blog and continue to post. It may not be daily postings, but I will try to keep this going. I have been feeling this past week that in some way I have let everyone down, particularly my Scleroderma brothers and sisters who are fighting this fight with me. This stem cell transplant was not only for myself but for all of the other men, women, and children (yes, even children are afflicted with this disease)who suffer and struggle every day of their lives. I was hoping to bring us one step closer to a cure. If I could have been a subject for this clinical trial to help science find that cure I would have. I will continue to fight this disease with dignity and Donna and I will continue to look for alternative methods. I am optimistic that someday there will be a cure. If any of my Sclero brothers and sisters out there are reading this, please consider taking that chance to help find a cure not only for yourself but for others who suffer like us. Dr. Richard Burt should be commeneded for his work in stem cell transplant therapy. He is a compassionate human being who believes in his work and he was heart broken to give me the news that this would not be a possibility for me. If anyone wants more information on his work and Northwestern Memorials program, please email me. We have sent people to the moon, I know we can find a cure for this! Remember that June is National Scleroderma Awareness month. Stay strong to live long!

4 comments:

  1. Dear Mike,
    Thank you for posting. We are with you and your family as you continue your fight. We are fighting with you, to raise awareness and to find a cure!! You are doing great work! May god bless you and your family!!
    Stay strong to live long!
    Love you!

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  2. Mike,I recently read your blog, as a sclero sister i want to say that i am touched by your story and your unbelievable spirit and courage. I am not disappointed in you and if i may speak for all of the others affected by this disease, i would have to say we commend you. You are a very brave man who will not let this disease beat him. To all that read this post, it is so important to raise awareness of disease, get out there and spread the word. Keep fighting my brother.. keep fighting!!

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  3. When I was diagnosed in the early summer of 2006 with scleroderma, both my wife and I knew we were going to take this on in whatever way we could to make sure that we (not I as this was a team effort) would do whatever we could to seek out the best doctor(s) and treatment(s) to fight back. We were lucky to be able to get a [relatively] quick appointment with Dr Wigley at Johns Hopkins and under his expert treatment I responded well and I'm stable and in relatively good health with luckily what appears to be minimal damage to my internal organs.

    I know that if the original treatments didn't work well we were prepared to take the next steps, whatever they would be at that time, to continue to fight the disease. It is easy to find all the bad stories about scleroderma with a couple quick searches on the Internet and it is much harder to find stories of those that fight and win. I'm hopeful yours will be one of those stories with a good ending and that whatever treatment you seek next is the one that works. Don't give up!

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  4. Mike you are doing a phenominal job of spreading the word about Scleroderma. You should be commeneded. Keep up the fight. If anyone can beat this you can. Stay strong to live long!

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